Player Updates

April 5, 2020 12:04 PM

Tigers' C.J. Cron: Posts strong spring

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Cron finished Grapefruit League play with a .346/.452/.731 slash line and three home runs in 12 games.

Cron had a similarly strong spring with Minnesota in 2019 and then got off to a hot start for the Twins before a thumb injury derailed him in the latter part of the season. The first baseman had offseason thumb surgery and is reportedly fully healthy, so he could provide strong offensive numbers for the Tigers when the 2020 season is able to begin.

March 5, 2020 09:00 PM

Tigers' C.J. Cron: Feels better about mechanics

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Cron said he altered his mechanics last season after breaking his thumb but noted that his swing feels more natural heading into 2020, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Cron had offseason thumb surgery and didn't swing for a while, which he said allowed him to basically reset his swing. This is good news, because the first baseman hit .266 with an .821 OPS, 17 home runs and 54 RBIs in 78 games for the Twins before the injury. After returning, he played 47 more games and slashed just .229/.280/.420 with seven home runs. A healthy Cron might push for 30 long balls and should hit in the heart of Detroit's order all year.

February 26, 2020 03:16 PM

Tigers' C.J. Cron: Pops first spring home run

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Cron went 1-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

Cron hit 25 home runs last year for the Twins but was limited in the second half because of a thumb injury. He reported to spring training healthy after offseason thumb surgery, and the 30-year-old figures to add some pop to Detroit's lineup. He had a career-high 30 long balls in 2018 and could return to that level if he stays healthy in 2020.

February 20, 2020 04:56 PM

Tigers' C.J. Cron: Healthy in spring training

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Cron reported to spring training Saturday and won't face any limitations in camp after requiring surgery on his right thumb in October, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Cron said he only lost about two weeks from his normal offseason program while undergoing rehab from surgery, so he won't be behind any of his fellow position players during spring training. Per Stavenhagen, the Tigers are slated to roll out a lineup of younger, less established players in their spring opener Friday versus Southeastern University, but Cron could make his Tigers debut in Grapefruit League games Saturday or Sunday. The 30-year-old is poised to serve as the Tigers' everyday first baseman in 2020 and should provide a much-needed power boost to a squad that ranked 29th in the majors in home runs a season ago.

December 21, 2019 07:12 PM

Tigers' C.J. Cron: Inks deal with Tigers

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Cron (thumb) signed a one-year, $6.1 million contract with the Tigers on Saturday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Cron saw limited playing time over the second half of the season, and the combination of his decrease in usage and thumb surgery in October resulted in him being non-tendered by the Twins. The 29-year-old will likely be ready for spring training, and he could take over the starting job at first base after Jeimer Candelario struggled to break out in 2019.

December 2, 2019 06:32 PM

C.J. Cron: Cut loose by Twins

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Cron (thumb) was non-tendered by the Twins on Monday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

He had a significant thumb surgery in October and was set to make north of $7 million in arbitration, so this move is not all that surprising. It's unclear if he will be physically ready for spring training, so he may have a hard time catching on elsewhere on a big-league contract in the short term.

October 22, 2019 10:16 PM

Twins' C.J. Cron: Undergoes thumb procedure

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Cron had a surgical debridement of his right thumb last week, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Cron battled the thumb issue for much of the season, and the procedure will remove dead or unhealthy tissue from the area. The initial recovery timeline is 6-to-8 weeks, which puts the 29-year-old on track to be ready for spring training. Cron slashed .253/.311/.469 with 25 home runs and 78 RBI in 125 games during 2019.

October 10, 2019 04:12 PM

Twins' C.J. Cron: Will have thumb evaluated

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Cron (thumb) will receive a second opinion on his injury that has been labeled as a bone bruise, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Cron's thumb injury lingered through much of the season, resulting in a pair of trips to the injured list and limitations at the plate. The 29-year-old will receive an outside opinion, with the possibility that a procedure may be able to help his recovery.

September 30, 2019 01:16 PM

Twins' C.J. Cron: Blasts 25th homer

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Cron went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's win over Minnesota.

Cron kicked off the scoring with a two-run shot to left field in the first inning. The blast was his second in as many contests after Cron failed to go deep in his first 17 games in September. The 29-year-old finishes his first season in Minnesota with a .253/.311/.469 slash line along with 25 homers and a career-high 78 RBI.

September 13, 2019 06:52 PM

Twins' C.J. Cron: Riding pine Friday

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Cron isn't in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Indians.

Cron is situated on the bench for the fourth consecutive contest, giving Willians Astudillo another chance to start at first base and hit eighth.

September 11, 2019 03:12 PM

Twins' C.J. Cron: Remains on bench

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Cron sits for the third straight game Wednesday against the Nationals.

It's not clear if Cron is battling an unreported minor injury or if he's simply out of favor at the moment. Willians Astudillo starts at first base for the second straight game in his absence.

September 10, 2019 03:48 PM

Twins' C.J. Cron: Receives day off

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Cron isn't in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Nationals, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Cron was also held out of Sunday's matchup, and following Monday's scheduled off day, he's in line for a third straight day of rest. Willians Astudillo gets the nod at first base and is set to bat seventh.

September 8, 2019 11:52 AM

Twins' C.J. Cron: Heads to bench

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Cron is not starting Sunday against Cleveland, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Cron owns a solid .250/.321/.563 slash line over his last 13 games, hitting four homers over that stretch. Ehire Adrianza will get the start at first base in his absence.

September 1, 2019 11:36 AM

Twins' C.J. Cron: Bows out of lineup

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Cron is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Tigers.

He'll cede first-base duties to Willians Astudillo (oblique), who was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Sunday. After homering in his third straight contest in Saturday's 10-7 loss and turning in a monstrous 1.064 OPS over his past 10 games, Cron still looks locked into a near-everyday role.

August 30, 2019 11:36 PM

Twins' C.J. Cron: Power surge continues

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Cron went 2-for-5 with a double, a three-run home run and a second run scored in Friday's 13-5 win over the Tigers.

The first baseman has gone deep in consecutive games and three times in the last five contests, and his nine RBI over that stretch have pushed him up to 74 on the year -- tying his career high from 2018. Despite his recent success, Cron is slashing only .263/.330/.488 through 22 games in August, and he remains a secondary piece of the offensive puzzle for the Twins.

August 30, 2019 12:04 AM

Twins' C.J. Cron: Big day at dish

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Cron went 3-for-5 with a double, home run, three RBI and two runs scored Thursday against the White Sox.

Cron delivered a two-RBI single in the first inning to extend the Twins' lead to 4-0. He followed that up with a solo home run in the third frame, his 22nd long ball of the season. Cron is now riding a four-game hitting streak and has at least one hit in six of his last seven starts. Though he missed a significant portion of the season with a thumb injury, he has a strong chance to match his 30-homer output from a season ago. Through 433 plate appearances this season, he's put together a .261/.321/.484 line.

August 23, 2019 02:56 PM

Twins' C.J. Cron: Sitting again Friday

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Cron is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Tigers.

Cron finds himself on the bench for the third straight contest as he has a .236/.311/.364 slash line in August. Ehire Adrianza will start at first base and bat seventh Friday for the Twins.

August 21, 2019 11:28 AM

Twins' C.J. Cron: Resting Wednesday

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Cron is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox.

Cron will be on the bench for the second day in a row while Miguel Sano checks in for him at first base. Since returning from the 10-day injured list Aug. 3, Cron has slashed a pedestrian .236/.311/.364 across 16 games. His lackluster production of late along with the recent return of designated hitter Nelson Cruz from the IL could begin to cost Cron more work.

August 20, 2019 03:40 PM

Twins' C.J. Cron: Situated on bench

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Cron isn't in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the White Sox, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Cron will take a seat for the second time in the last three days. As a result, Marwin Gonzalez draws the start at first base and will bat eighth.

August 18, 2019 02:24 PM

Twins' C.J. Cron: Gets Sunday off

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Cron is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rangers.

In Saturday's 12-7 win, Cron delivered one of his better performances since returning from the injured list earlier this month, finishing 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI while also reaching base when he was hit by a pitch. Ehire Adrianza will draw the start at first base in the series finale in what merely amounts to a maintenance day for Cron after eight consecutive starts.